1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with the product obtained by reacting a borated alkyl catechol with a succinimide and the use of said product in lubricant compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the crisis associated with diminishing amounts of fossil fuel and the rapidly increasing prices for this fuel, there has been a great deal of interest in reducing the amount of fuel consumed by automobile engines, and the like.
Thus, there is a great need to find lubricants that reduce the overall friction in the engine, thus reducing the energy requirements thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,548 discloses the use of lubricating oils compositions containing borated alkyl catechols. The oil compositions are used in the crankcase of an internal combustion engine in order to reduce oxidation of the oil and corrosion of the metal parts of the engine.
There is a problem with the use of borated alkyl catechols in lubricatinq oils since they are sensitive to moisture and hydrolyze readily. The hydrolysis leads to haze and/or precipitate formation which must be filtered out prior to use.
It has now been found that the borated alkyl catechols may be stabilized against hydrolysis by complexing the borated alkyl catechol with an alkenyl or alkyl mono or bis succinimide.
Most importantly, it has now been found that lubricating the crankcase of an internal combustion engine with a lubricating oil containing the reaction product of a borated alkyl catechol and a succinimide reduces the fuel consumption of the engine.